'Nothing Illegal': Creator of ICE Tracking App Plans Legal Action After Apple Removal

In short

The DOJ beneath Pam Bondi demanded Apple take down ICEBlock, whereas Google pulled down Purple Dot citing security.
ICEBlock creator Joshua Aaron referred to as the removing a violation of First Modification rights.
Aaron warned that constitutional rights are “being stripped away” and vowed a authorized combat.

Bowing to federal stress, Google and Apple yanked two widespread apps, ICEBlock and Purple Dot, that allow customers crowdsource experiences of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement exercise, citing officer security after a lethal sniper assault at an ICE subject workplace in Texas.

On Thursday, Google and Apple each eliminated the Purple Dot app. Apple additionally pulled the iOS-specific ICEBlock app after the U.S. Division of Justice beneath Lawyer Common Pam Bondi formally demanded its removing. Bondi mentioned in a press release to Fox Information that the app “is designed to place ICE brokers in danger only for doing their jobs,” and vowed to guard federal law-enforcement officers.

Joshua Aaron, creator of ICEBlock, mentioned Apple’s removing blindsided him.

“The app was completely vetted for 3 weeks by Apple’s authorized and senior officers earlier than approval,” he informed Decrypt. “It’s been tremendous all this time. For them to do it now, that’s why I say I’m so dissatisfied.”

Aaron, a software program developer and the lead singer of the rock band Stealing Heather, launched ICEBlock in April. In July, as ICE operations ramped up throughout the USA, ICEBlock went viral after being referred to as out by Bondi, who referred to as it a software for “signaling to criminals the place our federal officers are.”

Aaron mentioned Apple has not reached out to him or given him an opportunity to enchantment the choice.

“Apple has not referred to as me, regardless that we have been primary within the App Retailer for weeks and had 1.14 million customers that counted on this each single minute of their day,” he mentioned. “They only gave me a letter that mentioned we acquired info from regulation enforcement that your app is concentrating on or harming regulation enforcement officers.”

Aaron in contrast ICEBlock to mainstream navigation instruments like Apple Maps, Google Maps, and Waze.

“To by some means say that ICEBlock is doing something totally different than that’s ridiculous,” he mentioned.

Federal stress intensifies

Apple’s removing got here after Bondi’s DOJ formally requested for the app to be pulled, citing officer security.

“We created the App Retailer to be a protected and trusted place to find apps. Based mostly on info we’ve acquired from regulation enforcement concerning the security dangers related to ICEBlock, we now have eliminated it and comparable apps from the App Retailer,” Apple informed Fox Information.

Google echoed that sentiment with its removing of Purple Dot, going as far as to counsel to 404 Media that ICE brokers are a “weak group.”

“ICEBlock was by no means out there on Google Play, however we eliminated comparable apps for violations of our insurance policies,” a Google spokesperson informed Decrypt. The spokesperson, who mentioned that the federal authorities didn’t attain out to the search big, mentioned the Purple Dot app was eliminated as a result of “excessive danger of abuse” and guidelines round user-generated content material.

On September 24, a sniper assault at an ICE facility in Dallas killed one detainee and injured two others. Authorities mentioned the suspect was aiming for ICE officers and had searched his telephone for monitoring apps, together with ICEBlock, earlier than opening fireplace.

Aaron referred to as the takedown a “First Modification violation,” and mentioned he plans to combat it in court docket and within the media.

“This isn’t some app taken down from the App Retailer; this can be a tech firm eradicating one thing that’s clearly a First Modification-protected app,” he mentioned. “There’s nothing unlawful about creating it. There’s nothing unlawful about utilizing it. They’re now deciding what you possibly can and can’t use on a tool that you simply personal.”

He additionally rejected Google’s description of ICE brokers as a “weak group.”

“They gave $170 billion to create their very own paramilitary power on this nation,” he mentioned. “To say they’re in peril is laughable at greatest.”